Refrigerator cabinet



A, P, BALL Apr 30, 1935.

REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed Oct. 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l w w. .la

ATTORNEYS April 39,1935. A. p. BALLI 1,999,798

- REFRI'GERATOR CABINET Filed Oct. 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 30, 1935 PATENT OFFICE 1,999,798 asrnrcsaa'ron cssnmr Albert P. Ball, Detroit. Mich., assigner to Briggs Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application `October' 26, 1931, Serial No. 571,245

3Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cabinets and more particularly to a novel construction thereof tending to simplify, render the same more efficient and improve the same generally.

In accordance with this invention, I propose a construction lwherein the usual or customary frame members of the cabinet are eliminated, the body of the cabinet being composed of or built up from form-sustaining panels or sheets of in sulating material interiitted and secured together to form all of the walls of the cabinet. The inner and outer metal panels are ,then associated with this structure to produce the finished cabinet.

One notable advantage of a construction of this character is the simplicity of the structure which enables it to be manufactured and assembled not only quickly, but economically. Another advantage obtained is an increased eiliciency in the cabinet resulting from the adequate heat insulating properties of the structure in which the insulating panels extend throughout the walls and are secured directly to one another without the interpositioning of frame members of other materials.

The several objects, advantages and novel details of construction of the invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection withvthe accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through refrigerator cabinet constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the cabinet taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the body of the cabinet formed of the panels of insulating material as seen from the rear; and

Figure 4"is a similar view as seen from the front.

Referring now more particularly to the draw-- ings wherein like reference characters indicate like parts. it will be noted that the body of the refrigerator is composed of sheets or panels of form-sustaininginsulating material assembled to produce the side walls I0, vback wall I I, bottom I2 and top wall I3 of the cabinet. As shown probably best in Figure 2, the rear vertical edges of the side walls It are formed with rabbets Il with which the vertical edges of the rear wall I I engage, these walls being united by dowels I5 passed through the rabbeted portions of the side walls and into the vertical edges of the rear wall II.

`Asseeninlllgure1,thereareclgeofthebottom (Cl. 22o-9) I2 is formed with a rabbet I6 with which the lower edge of the rear wall II engages, dowel pins I1 being provided for securing these wall members together.

As seen in Figure l, the top wall I3 extends from 5 the front of the cabinet to a point-spaced forwardly of the rear side of the cabinet to provide a space I8 for the purpose, for instance, of receiving a mechanical refrigerator unit (not shown).

The complementary top wall portion I3 which l0 constitutes the bottom wall of this space I8, is provided with a rabbet I9 to receive the upper edge of therear wall I I, dowels 20 being provided for securing these wall members together. As probably best seen by a comparison of Figures 1, 15 3 and 4 the side walls I0 extend upwardly above the top wall I3, these upward extensions being indicated by the reference character I0 and also these walls extend to the rear side of the cabinet as shown in Figure 1 and constitute the side zo walls of the unit-receiving space or compartment The end faces of the wall section I3 abut the opposed faces of the side walls I0, dowels 2l being provided for securing the wall section I3 to 25 the side Walls. In a like manner the fend faces v/ of the wall section I3 are secured to the sides` walls by dowels 22.

The upper rear corners of the side walls I0 are recessed as at 23 to receive a transversely extending frame member 24 to which the outer metal panel of the cabinet, yet to be referred to, is secured.

The side edges of the bottom I2 are provided with rabbets similar to the rabbet I6 at the rear edge of the bottom, to receive the lower edges of the side walls I0, dowels similar tothe dowels l also being employed for securing the bottom and side walls together.

- vvThe forward edge of the top panel I3 is formed with an inclined face 25 andthe forward edge of the bottom I2 is provided with an inclined face 26, corresponding inclined faces 21 being formed on the forward edges of the side walls Il, these inclined faces constituting the face of the door 'opening with which the door 2l, engages.

The opening defined by the side walls III and the vertically aligned edges of the walls sections I3 and Il', is provided with a frame 28 to which the refrigerator unit (not shown) is attached.

From-the description thus far it will be seen that the body ofthe refrigerator cabinet is built up of sheets or. panels of insulating. material connected vtogether by tightly tting joints so as to produce a substantially complete cabinet structure formed practically entirely'of insulating material.

No framing is required and hence the insulating material extends throughout the walls of the cabinet.

'I'he body of insulating material when thus constructed is next sheathed or enclosed by the inner and outer metal panels 29 and 30 o! the cabinet. The joint between the inner and outer panels at the door opening is covered by a iinish strip frame member 3| with which there may be associated, if desired. an inner sealing member 32 providing a seal between the door opening and-the inner periphery of the door 21. 'I'he door 21 cis composed of a panel of insulating material 33 enclosed within metal panels 34 and 35, the door being provided at its outer periphery with a sealing strip 36 forming a second seal betweenthe door and the door opening of the cabinet.

The unit-receiving space I 8 is enclosed by rear metal panel 31 and a top panel'38.

The metal panels t the panels comprising the body of the cabinet snugly and as a consequence impart rigidity thereto and to the cabinet structure in its entirety.

In describing this invention no particular type of insulating material has been referred to because obviously, various types may be used, the only requisite being that the insulating material be of such a nature that it may be made in form-sustaining sheets or panels. Moreover, the particular manner in which the inner and outer metallic panels of the cabinet areunited, is of little or no consequence'insofar as this invention is concerned, because the invention consists generally inthe construction of the body of the box entirely of insulating material which is subsequently sheathed or enclosed in the metallic inner and outer panels of the cabinet.

What I claim as my invention is:

1.,A refrigerator cabinet comprising a selfsustaining walled cabinet structure of insulating material, said walled structure comprising a plurality of relatively rigid unitary sections,` each section comprising a single piece o! insulating material arranged to form an enclosing wall of the structure, said sections having their adjacent edges lapped in abutting relation and directly joined together without reinforcing frame members to provide a self-sustaining walled structure consisting of the sectionsthus joined together, and metal sheathing preformed to ilt the outer and inner surfaces of the walled structure and concealing the junctures of the sections.

2. A refrigerator cabinet comprising a selfsustaining walled cabinet structure of insulating material, said walled structure comprising a plurality of relatively rigid unitary sections, each section comprising a single piece of insulating material arranged to form an enclosing wall of the structure, said sections having their adjacent edges intertting in abutting relation and directly fastened together without a supporting framework to provide a self-sustaining walled structure consisting of the sections thus fastened together, and metal sheathing preformed to enclose said walls and covering the points of fastening of the sections.

3. A refrigerator cabinet comprising a seltsustaining walled cabinet structure of insulating material, said walled structure comprising a plurality of relatively rigid one-piece sections, each formed from a single piece of insulating material and arranged to form an enclosing wall of the structure, said sections having their adjacent edges lapped in abutting relation, means for joining said lapped edges together to provide a self-sustaining walled structure of insulating material without supplemental supporting means for the sections, and metal panelling angularb' formed to cover said sections, the junctures thereof and said joining means.

ALBERT P. BALL. 

